Mayors meet state government leaders (Lake Norman Citizen)

Opening lines of communication and laying the groundwork for cooperation were the primary objectives of Tuesday’s meetings between representatives of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition and state government officials.

Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain, vice chairperson of the Coalition, said sessions with Speaker of the House Thom Tillis, Senate majority leader Phil Berger and other legislative and state agency movers and shakers provided information about ongoing issues, while formal and informal gatherings with Gov. Pat McCrory gave mayors insight into state government priorities and concerns for the months ahead.

“Transportation was a primary topic,” Swain said Wednesday from Raleigh as she prepared for individual meetings with more state-level officials. “One of the things that was made clear is that everything is on the table in terms of securing transportation financing.”

Swain added that McCrory expressed an interest in obtaining continuing input from the Mayors Coalition — which consists of mayors from the state’s largest 28 municipalities — on local, regional and state matters. She added that while there are a lot of unknowns on the horizon in terms of state financial matters, she viewed Tuesday’s meetings as a solid first step toward a cooperative, solution-seeking team effort.